THE MURDOCH DYNASTY usually operates behind the headlines but, recently, the family has been featuring in them instead – as revelations about phone-hacking by News International titles were published, causing public outrage.

So, who’s who in this media dynasty family? We take a look…

Keith Rupert Murdoch

Better known as plain-old “Rupert”, the 80-year-old media mogul is Chairman and CEO of News Corporation and patriarch of the Murdoch clan. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Murdoch started his empire with a single newspaper in Adelaide before expanding throughout the country and moving operations to the UK, US and Asia.

Murdoch was awarded a papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II in 1998; has been listed on three times as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world; and was ranked as 13th most powerful person in the world by Forbes in 2010. His net worth is approximately $6.3 billion.

He has been married three times and has six children.

Prudence Murdoch

Born in 1958, Prudence Murdoch is the first and only child of Rupert Murdoch and Patricia Booker. Prudence lives in Sydney, Australia, and is married to a senior executive in News Corp’s Australian operation. She never became involved in the family business – making her the only (adult) child not to have been.

Elisabeth Murdoch

Born in Sydney in 1968, Elisabeth is the first child of Rupert Murdoch’s second marriage to journalist Anna Torv. Elisabeth is married and lives in London, where she owns the largest independent television company in the world, Shine. She worked from an early age at News Corp before leaving to pave her own way in the media.

Lachlan Murdoch

Born in  London in 1971, Lachlan was involved in News Corp from a young age and, at one point, was marked as a potential successor to his father. However, he left the company amid rumours he resented his father’s control. He is now married and lives in Sydney, working on the board of a major television network.

James Murdoch

James is Rupert Murdoch’s right-hand man – reportedly not having had the same problem with his father’s authority as his siblings. Born in Wimbledon in 1972, James is currently Chairman and Chief Executive of News Corp. He is married and has two children. As a student, James edited an underground magazine and drew comic strips.

Grace Helen and Chole Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch’s youngest children, Grace Helen and Chole, were born in New York in 2001 and 2003, respectively. They are the daughters of Rupert and his third wife, Wendi Deng.

Wendi Deng

Rupert Murdoch’s third wife Wendi arrived in the United States as a Chinese immigrant with no English. She began working as a nanny for a couple and, within a few years, she had married her newly-divored former employer. Deng then divorced her husband and secured a scholarship to Yale. It was while working for News Corp in China that Deng met Murdoch.

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch’s mother, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, is one of Australia’s best-loved philanthropists, having volunteered across a wide variety of charitable sectors and donated generously causes throughout her life – and it’s been a considerably long life at that: Dame Elisabeth is 102 years old.